The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-01-27
THE RAVENS NEST.

nest, Willy?"
"a what?" exclaimed Willy, in much
surprise, and with his eyes wide open.
IA ravens nest, stupid" repeated
his companion.
"Why there are not any shout here!'
"Aren't there, though; that's all you
know about it. saw one yesterday"
'.Nonsense," said Willy.
II tell you did," returned the other
stoutly. II was over there at Chere-
ham Cliffs yesterday and l saw it," he
concluded, with great emphasis.
WHY'S eyes opened wider still. "Oh!
I should like to see it, too," he ex-
claimed.
"Well, come on then" said the other,
Sam Heathcotc by name, who lived not
far from the cottage where Willy dwelt
with his grandfather and grandmother.
But Willy did not move.
"Come on" cried Sam, again; "what
are you waiting forP"
Willy still paused. He was thinking
that he had been told not to 60 near
Chereham Cliffs. But the temptation
was strong. A ravens nest is not to
be seen very often, and if the news of
its existence became noised abroad in
the village it might not remain there
much longer. Yet Willy tried to be an
obedient boy, and so compromised the
matter by saying to himself: "Well, I
will go now, and then l will tell
| grandma how it was, and she will for
give me, because 1 should so much like
to see this strange and rare thing" So
| he cried: "All right, Sam, here goes!'
and the two boys turned away from the
village, and hurried over the fields in
the direction of the famous cliffs.
These were not by the seashore, as
might perhaps be supposed. They form
the sides of a huge rent or pass through
some high hills in the west country, a
wild, and, for children, somewhat dam
gerous spot, which visitors came from
long distances to see, and against
which mothers warned their boys and
girls. The village was on the grassy
and gently-sloping side of the hills, so
Sam and his companion had not very
far to go.
"What have you got that rope and
pole forp" asked Willy as he and Sam
trotted over the fields, which, rising
rather gradually here, led toward the
top of the cliffs.
ITO help ourselves down by" said
Sam; "the nest is half way down the
cliffs, and it is too steep and rough to
Chamber down without rope"
"Oh!" said Willy, alarmed. "Why
did you not say SO before?" He was
only little fellow. and this seemed a
dreadfully dangerous proceeding.
..What!' cried his companion, "are
you going to be a coward now, eh, and
60 back?"
| "No-o," replied the other, decided
ly, and he trotted forward again, but
less quickly than before.
In due time they reached the top, and
looked down the rugged cliffs. Behind
them stretched the undulating submits
of the range of hills, covered with
short, sweet grass, which flocks of sheep
were nibbling; in front was the chasm,
and across the chasm the sward covered
| StLCtCuCu AL WUto
"Now," said Sam, 1--WE will tie the
end of the rope round this pole''-
which he pushed into a hole in the
earth, and the other end will fasten
round me, under my arms, so--d'ye
seeP'-suiting the action to the word.
'Then you hold the rope round the
pole so that it shall keep fast, and''-
carefully picking his way-"I can
Chamber down pretty nearly all the way,
only have the rope ease we should
fall. Mind and hold to it tight. I'd
like to have the ravens eggs before
anybody else-or perhaps there are
young ones--who knows!'
Willy clutched the rope with des
perate grasp, and watched Sam disap
peared, but his heart was sorrowful
How he wished he had not come! Slow
ly the minutes passed. The rope grad.
ually went out over the cliff, bit by bit
Sam seemed making his way very care
fully and very slowly, and occasionally
Willy heard him shouting and singing
as if greatly delighted. Presently h.
heard him call: ''Pull up the rope
Willy; am coming"
So Willy pluckcd up little courage
pulled the rope as it became slack, ant
lying full length on the grass, venturet
to peep over the chasm and look a
Sam! Yes, there he was slowly making
his way up the rough cliff amid thu
wilderness of grass and wild flowers
and thistles that adorned the side. Oh
how profoundly quiet it was! Ther'
was absolutely no sound now but tn
hum of the wild bee or the buzz of ,
fly. After all it would be jolly to g
down into that wilderness of will
beauty rs Sam had done, and sec thi
wonderful and rare ravens nest. How
brave and daring, too. little sister SUI
would think him!
A minute more Sam was near tn
summit. There's young 'uns in it,
he cried; 'there's young 'uns, but no
old enough to take. Oh! l say, fame,
taking young ravens. I shall com
again" Willy fairly trembled with eS
element. Then Sam reached the TOP
and threw himself on the grass, pant
ing. "Oh! it is tine nest,n he said